English Injuries Cloud Bangladesh Test Match
When it was decided some time ago that in order to beat Bangladesh in the ODI and Test Series, all that was necessary for England to do was to field a weak team so that some players could have a welcome break. Even the captain Andrew Strauss saw it as a good excuse for some time off. Oh how the management must now be regretting that decision. The hobbled squad that they have been left with due to physical injury, mental strife and several top players losing any semblance of form is hardly fit competition for a half decent County side.
Ryan Sidebottom the seam bowler has been sent home and Graham Onions the fast bowler cannot play due to injury. There is also a strong likelihood that the other fast bowler Stuart Broad will not be sufficiently fit to play due to back problems. This is a huge blow to the bowling side already weakened by the exclusion of James Anderson. Instead England will use two novice bowlers James Tredwell and Steven Finn. Finn will have little time to acclimatise as he will not arrive in Bangladesh until the day before the warm up match, which is far from satisfactory.
The batting side does not look much better either. Kevin Pietersen is supposed to be the England batting star. In three one day matches plus a two innings practice match his total tally of runs was 63. He is lucky to still be in the side, but as the English selectors now know, beggars can’t be choosers.
England has never lost a test match against Bangladesh, though it looks as if the performances of the two sides are getting closer. The bookmakers still have England as the clear favourite to win the series with odds of 1 / 4 from Extrabet. Ladbrokes are offering 12/1 on a series win for Bangladesh.
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